Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
engine block

engine block

5 4.0
A metal part of an engine that holds the cylinders and channels for cooling
  • noun
  • /ˈɛn.dʒɪn blɑk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : bloque del motor
  • Last month, there were two hapless chipmunks sleeping in the engine block.
  • a cracked engine block
  • an aluminum engine block
  • an engine block heater

And here I am shoving this thing like a fishing pole down into my engine block, trying to fish out in in the middle of like all the oil.

Examples

  • His carport was littered with various auto parts and two old engine blocks.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The thermostat sits between the engine block and the radiator.

    Blog text (23)

  • I can replace an engine block!

    Cars 2 (2011)

  • Mr. Lacombe wants the numbers off the engine blocks!

    Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

  • The coolant isn't getting to the engine block.

    Day of the Dead: Bloodline (2017)

  • The driver had taken his cap off and leaned over the red engine block, the shiny hoses.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • No coolant running through the engine block, no water pump, and no radiator hoses to burst.

    Blog text (28)

  • I can't do it now, of course, on account of sometimes I get fluid built up in my engine block, but Doc said he's gonna fix it.

    Cars (2006)

  • Although the mounting tabs for the engine block were broken off in the crash, the original propellers remained intact to be used again on the 1904 Flyer II.

    Academic text (2003)

  • The mechanic inspected the engine block for any cracks or leaks before starting the repair.

Synonyms

cylinder block
vsengine block
  • Specialized
1 5.4

A solid piece of metal in an engine that holds the cylinders where the pistons move and cooling passages

is the general metal body that contains cylinders and cooling passages

Surface Forms

engine block singular
engine blocks plural

Morphology

engine + block

The meaning 'the main metal body of an engine' is directly derivable from combining 'engine' (the machine) with 'block' (a solid unit or mass), indicating a solid part of the engine. This noun+noun part-whole composition is a common, cross-linguistic pattern and therefore a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Engine block comes from the image of a heavy block of metal that holds the engine's cylinders and cooling holes. That's why today it means the 'main metal body' of an engine.